Storage rack unit accessory



Feb. 21, 1961 D, s, BURNS ETAL 2,972,418

STORAGE RACK UNIT ACCESSORY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1958 Feb.2l, 1961 D. s. BURNS ET AL 2,972,418

STORAGE RACK UNIT ACCESSORY Filed April 25, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 2 Aggie.

STORAGE RACK UNIT AECESSORY Donald St Burns, Corona Del Mar., and .ohnL. Williams, Anaheim, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to EkcoProducts Company, Chicago, lil., a corporation or' Delaware Filed Apr.25, 1958, Ser. No. 739,975

4 Claims. (Cl. 211---7'1) The present invention relates to racks and'similar equipment for handling and storing articles 1n organized spacedapart relation and more particularly a rack unit accessory for joining apair of self supporting mobile simplicity of construction, relativelyinexpensive manu..

facturing cost, as well as sanitary and attractive design.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will becomeapparent, reside in the details of construction and assembly as morefully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. l is an expanded top perspective view, with parts broken away,showing a rack installation embodying the use of a rack unit accessoryin accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation disclosing details of assemblybetween a sel-f supporting rack unit anda rack unit accessory ascontemplated by this invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 5- 5 of Fig.2.

A pair of mobile self supporting storage racks of identical design andconstruction are illustrated in the drawings in conjunction with a rackaccessory unit for the purpose of presenting a specific embodiment ofthe present invention as applied to such pair of racks. As shown, eachof said pair of racks includes a iirst inverted U-shaped tubular framehaving legs and 11 joined in spaced parallel relation by an upper bridgesection 12 and a second similar frame having legs 13 and 14 joined inspaced parallel relation by an upper bridge section 15. These frames arerigidly joined in spaced parallel relation at a uniform distance apartby an upper bracing member 16 having opposed parallel arms 17, a lowerbracing member 13 having opposed parallel arms 19, andan intermediatebracing member 20 having opposed parallel arms 21. Thus the arms 17, 19and 21 at one side of the members 16, 18 and 2li' provide rigidhorizontal supports joining the legs 1t) and 13 while the arms 17, 19and 21 at the opposite side of members 16, 18 and 20 provide similarsupports joining the legs 11 and 14 of each of the pair of rack frames.Each of the legs 1t), 11, 13 and 14 may be provided with adjustable feetso that the racks may be levelled despite irregularities in the door. In

i i ttes Pate-nt other instances, the legs may be 1'itted with casterwheels 22 for convenience in moving the racks from placetov` place.AHorizontally extending shelf or pan supporting4 runners Z3 bridging thearea between the legs-10 and 13l at selected vertically spaced apartpositions are provided by means of a runner section 24 secured to andcon necting the legs 1d and 13 of each rack unit frame and simi-larrunners 23 extending between the legs 11 and 14 in horizontalalignmentwith the runners 23 extending between legs iti and 13 are provided bymeans of a tion on the racks.

While accordingly functioning as storage racks, and-` with the aid of anaccessory rack unit as contemplated by{ the present invention, saidracks are adapted to be joined in iixed spaced relation at a selecteddistance apart and the area therebetween made available for similarstorage of additional pans, shelves, etc. Such an accessory unit', asshown in Fig. 2, includes a series of bridging members 25, 26 and 27 ofuniform size and dimension and each provided atopposite endwise portionsthereof with a pair of downwardly bent hook portions 28 joined by an`vintegral connecting member 28a. As shown in the drawings,l the hooks 23Yof bridging member 25 have engage-- ment with the arm 17 of upperbracing member 16 at one* side of one of the racks and with the arm 17of the upperv bracing member 16V of other rack. Hooks 28 of bridging'4rmembers 26 and 27 have similar engagement with they arms 17 of theintermediate and lower bracing members 2d and 18 respectively. Whilethus supported in operativeposition between the racks to maintain saidracks in fixed spaced apart relation, the bridging members 25, 26 and 27provide horizontally extending load supporting shelves across the spacebetween the racks. the connecting member 28"L is ofset in the directionof the area within the hook portions 28 joined thereby. Thus stress is.applied by the connecting member 23a against the@ surface of the arm ofthe bracing member opposite thereto? to yieldably resist accidentalunfastening of the hook portions 28 from a position of operativeengagement with said arm of the bracing member. An accessory unitforming the subject of this invention also provides means for utilizingthe area between the bridging members 25, 26 and 27 for the storage ofpans, shelves, etc. in the same manner that such pans, shelves, etc. areaccommodated by the supporting runners 23 of the rack units.Accordingly, the accessory unit includes a pair of end members, eachconsisting of a pair of legs 29 and 30 connected in spaced parallelrelation by supporting runners 31 arranged in parallel spaced apartrelation along said legs 29 and 3i). The legs 29 and 30 are provided attheir upper ends with a hook portion 32 for detachable engagement withthe arms 17 of the racks on which the upper bridging member 25 issupported. The legs 29 and 30 are thus suspended from the arms 17 of theracks to position the runners 31 of each end member in horizontallypaired alignment so that said runners 31 function in the same manner asthe runners 23 of the rack unit. Each of the legs 29 is made up of anupper section and a lower section joined by a plate 33 to which saidsections are welded. The legs 30 likewise comprise upper and lowersections joined by a similar plate 34. Similar plates 35 and 36 aresecured to the lower ends of the lower section of the legs 29' and 30respectively. When the legs 29 and 30 are in supported position on thearms 17 of the racks, the plates 33 and 34 are positioned opposite thearm 21 of the middle bracing member 2@ and the plates 35 and 36 aresituated opposite the arm 19 of the lower Patented Fei.V 21, 1961uAsshown in Fig. 5,-

I agregue bracing member 18. Each of the plates 33 and 34 are joined bya bolt 38 to clamping members 37 engaging the arm 21 to establish aninterlocked connection between the legs 29 and 30 and the rack on whichsaid legs 29 and 30 are supported. The plates 35 and 36 are likewisejoined by a bolt 3S to clamping member 37 engaging the arm 19 of thelower bracing member 18.

As thus assembled and operatively connected to the racks, the accessoryunit forming the subject of this invention affords strong, rigid, lowcost storage facilities utilizing as its end supports the sides of selfsupporting storage racks to which said accessory unit is connected.

, The ease with which the accessory unit of this invention can beapplied to and removed from a state of operative assembly is highlyadvantageous in that it renders assembling and re-arranging of thestorage facilities to suit a wide range of reqirements a very simple andeasy matter.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustratedaccessory unit or to the details of the rack units to which it isapplied since these details may be variously modified. Moreover, it isnot indispensable that all the features of the invention be usedconjointly since various features may be used to advantage in differentcombinations and sub-combinations.

What is claimed is:

1. A rack installation comprising a pair of rack units, each beingsupportable in self standing relation to the other unit and providedwith caster-mounted wheels, and means for detachably joining said unitsin fixed spaced apart relation for collective movement as a single unit,said means including bridging members detachably connected to said rackunits, said bridging members each providing horizontally disposed loadsupporting surface across the space between said rack units when thelatter are so joined, and each of said rack units provided with adetachable frame member supported in upright relation along the side ofthe rack unit facing the space between said rack units, and each of saidframe members having runners, with the runners of each frame inhorizontal alignment with the runners of the other frame, said runnersextending inwardly of the space between said rack units to providesurfaces with which separate load supporting members disposed betweensaid frame members have supporting engagement.

2. A rack installation according to claim 1, wherein each frame memberhas detachable connection to its supporting rack unit via meansincluding a hook provided at the upper end of each frame engageable withcooperating means on the rack unit.

3. A rack installationv according to claim 1, wherein each frame memberhas detachable connection to its supporting rack unit via meansincluding a series of clamping members on each rack unit to which theassociated frame member is joined by a bolt.

4. A rack installation comprising a pair of rack units, each beingsupportable in self standing relation to the other unit, means fordetachably joining said units in lixed spaced apart relation, said meansincluding bridging members detachablyconnected to said rack units, eachsaid bridging member providing a horizontally disposed load supportingsurface disposed across the space between said rack units when thelatter are so joined, and each of said rack units provided with adetachable frame member supported in upright relation along the side ofthe rack unit facing the space between said rack units, and each of saidframe members having runners, with the runners of each frame inhorizontal alignment with the runners of the other frame, said runnersextending inwardly of the space between said rack units to providesurfaces with which separate load supporting members disposed betweensaid frame members have supporting engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS442,468 Wegener Dec. 9, 1890 890,986 Jones .lune 16, 1908 1,059,464 HineApr. 22, 1913 1,593,945 Macklem July 27, 1926 1,665,593 Bulman Jan. 10,1928 1,772,497 Richardson Aug. 12, 1930 1,793,637 Rockwell Feb. 24, 19311,943,023 Langenkamp et al. Jan. 9, 1934v 2,315,595 Chappory Apr. 6,1943 2,544,368 Thorne Mar. 6, 1951 2,591,467 Rodefer Apr. l, 1952 FOREGNPATENTS 209,327 Australia July l5, 1957

